I applied to XX Company for an Enterprise Architect
position, a role that XX had been trying to fill for quite a while, and a role
for which, to me, was exactly what I was looking for. After the application
process I went through the Recruiter screening, then the Hiring Manager phone
screen, both of which went really well.

I took a day of vacation to complete the first set of
face-to-face interviews with other architects, then another day of vacation a
few weeks later for the face-to-face interview with the hiring manager.

At this point I was entertaining other interviews from
perspective employers, and had several strong leads, which was lucky, because
the day came when I was laid off (due to budget cuts) from my previous
employer. But luck was strong with me and I received a verbal offer from XX
that same day.

Now I had a quandary; I had put a down payment on a
vacation house back in January when my job was secure, and now I’m facing a new
job and have to decide whether to cancel this rental or work out a longer-than-normal-two-weeks
start date with my new manager. I talk to the XX hiring manager and we decide
my starting date to be in four weeks due to his travel schedule. This solves my
quandary; I can still go on vacation and will start XX the day after I get
back, refreshed and ready. I pay the thousands of dollars for the vacation
rental.

I get the written offer, accept it, and do all the things
required by it – reams of paperwork, travel to the drug testing center, etc. I
cancel all my pending interviews, write a dozen emails to potential leads
thanking them for their interest and let them know I’m off the market.

I go on vacation, spending a bit more than I normally
would have because I have a fat wallet from my severance pay, and a job
starting on Monday.

On Wednesday before I start, I get a call from HR that
they can’t find record of my college degree. I explain this is normal; I stated
on my application that I don’t have a degree. I mentioned it to the recruiter.
I mentioned it to the hiring manager. I mentioned it to people I interviewed
with. The Human Resources person confirms my application is factual. I start to
panic and contact the hiring manager, who assures me we’ll work it out, and the
recruiter who says we’re still “100%”; he’ll just have to write a new job request
without the degree requirement and have me apply to it; a mere formality.

The next day, two business days before I’m supposed to
start, a different Human Resources person calls me and says XX is rescinding
the offer. My request to speak to her supervisor is ignored. She says the
degree requirement is firm, and that XX is using the background check clause to
rescind my offer, even though the background check revealed nothing
interesting.

I’m now entering my second month of unemployment, having
lost dozens of leads, wasted a month of severance pay, and most importantly,
lost a month of job search time.

If you deem 18 years of professional experience more
important than a degree based on defunct programming languages, I ask that you
help to rectify this situation.